What are disclosed in patent documents 1 and 2 as rotary electric machines working as an electric motor and an electric generator or used only as the electric motor or the electric generator. In both the patent documents 1 and 2, so-called segment conductors (SC) configured in the form of substantially U-shape are disposed in slots of a stator core. Open ends of the segment conductors are electrically joined to make stator windings.
However, in the patent document 1, the segment conductor is twisted at the center of the turned portion to insert it into the circumferentially different slots, thus giving rise to the problem that the height h of portions of the stator windings 310, as illustrated in FIG. 24, which protrude outside axial opposite ends of the stator core 300 (portions of the stator windings protruding from the stator core in the axial direction will be referred to as coil ends below) is great, so that the stator windings 310 overhang greatly from the stator core 300. As illustrated in FIG. 25, the height h of the coil ends depends upon the interval between the slots 302 in which the segment conductors 320 are disposed and a bend angle of the segment conductors 320 at the coil ends. The bend angle of the segment conductor 320 depends upon the thickness thereof and a coil interval. In other words, the height h of the coil ends depends upon the height of a triangle which has a base that is an interval between the slots 302 in which the segment conductor 320 is disposed and a basic angle that is the bend angle of the segment conductor 320.
In the patent document 2, as illustrated in FIG. 25, the crank-shaped portion 322 which does not twist is formed at substantially the center of the turned portion of the segment conductor 320 to flatten the center, thereby decreasing the height of the coil ends.
However, if interval between the slots 302 in which the segment conductor 320 is disposed and the thickness of the segment conductor 320 are identical between the patent documents 1 and 2, the triangle defined by the segment conductor 320 on the coil end will be the same in size of the base and basic angle thereof between the patent documents 1 and 2, Therefore, there is a limitation of decreasing the height of the coil ends even when the segment conductors of the patent document 2 are used.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent First Publication No. 11-285216
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent First Publication No. 2003-18778